KIRKSVILLE, Mo. -  The Truman Softball team lost a heartbreaker in nine innings to open up Friday's Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Illinois Springfield by a score of 8-5 then were defeated in the nightcap 12-3.
 
The team was scheduled next to face Lewis University on Sunday but weather is throwing a wrench into those plans. That doubleheader will be made up on Wednesday at home. In the meantime, the next date on the Truman schedule is a road non-conference doubleheader with Missouri Western on Tuesday.
 
Game 1: Illinois Springfield 8, Truman State 5 (9 Innings)
The Bulldogs just couldn't put away UIS as a 5-1 lead evaporated in the late innings as Truman fell 8-5 in game one.
 
The Prairie Stars took a 1-0 lead in the second when Rose Bartletti bunted and reached on a throwing error when the ball sailed wide into right field. Reagan Miles scored but a second runner was tagged out at home.
 
It was that way until two outs in the fourth when pinch hitter Mackenzie West came up clutch with a bases clearing triple to score Brieanna Klein, Callie Unrein and Alivia Daniels to make it 3-1.
 
Truman increased their lead to 5-1 on another clutch single by Maria McGonegle and Daniels drawing a bases loaded walk following a call of an illegal pitch.  Both runs scored after the first two outs of the inning were recorded.
 
UIS put the first two runners on in the sixth and push across one with an RBI groundout by pinch hitter Ramsey Armstrong.
 
In the seventh, the first two UIS hitters singled and chased starter Annabel Zimmer from the game. Nutter replaced her and was greeted with a single by Isabella Wilson to load the bases. The first out was recorded on a lineout to second but Ella Brinkley pushed one through the left side to score one.
 
Emma Garcia then drove the first pitch into left field that scored two more to tie the game at five. A walk reloaded the bases but a fly ball to right was snared by Macy Taylor and she threw a strike to the plate for the double play to keep the game tied.
 
Truman was retired in order in their seventh and both teams held scoreless in the eighth.
 
The first two reached again for UIS in the ninth and after a sacrifice and intentional walk to load the bases. Bartletti flied a ball to right field again, Taylor made the catch and fired home. Originally the runner at third held but runner from first broke for second, in the haste, the runner at third sprinted home and beat the throw to the plate giving UIS the 6-5 lead. Later Taylor Zawacki singled through the right side adding two insurance runs.
 
Barletti proved tough in the circle for UIS. After the initial walk called on the illegal pitch that made it 5-1, she would set down 13 straight Bulldogs to pick up the win in relief.
 
Game 2: Illinois Springfield 12, Truman State 3
Illinois Springfield sent 12 hitters to the plate and scored seven times in the second inning and never looked back to take the nightcap 12-3.
 
The Bulldogs got a pair back in the third when singles by Nina Fenasci and Macy Taylor were followed by an RBI single from Emily Eberwine and an RBI groundout by Alex Beard.
 
Truman loaded the bases in the fourth but came up empty.
 
In the fifth, Beard hit a one-out double to the left field fence and later scored on a single by Brieanna Klein.
 
Ella Brinkley went 4-for-4 with three RBIs for UIS.